Thursday, September 3, 2015

Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca

By way of brief update, we made our way to Puno, Peru, and set sail on Lake Titicaca. Also known as the North Pole. Because it is so freaking cold all of the time always. You guys. I think my body has been cryogenically frozen just from walking around outside this week. I'm asking not to be brought to until everyone responsible for Glee has left this Earth.

Machu Picchu was magnificent. Even more so than I ever imagined. Also, I am totally convinced that all of the buses in Peru were made by the same people who make the buses in Harry Potter. You know. The ones that can twist and morph into whatever size is needed so they can fit through cracks and drive sideways across cliffs. Because I can't think of any other way to explain how I have gotten to or from anywhere in this country without my body ending up at the bottom of a very deep pit in a burning pile of automobile.

Speaking of which, we returned from Machu Picchu last night and immediately began an all-night 9-hour bus ride with the stinkiest backpackers that have ever wandered this planet. Be ye warned. The smell will likely hit your home in the next 24 to 48 hours (depending, of course, on the winds).

We have spent a long day in Puno, touring floating islands that are made of reeds that have to be replaced every 14 days by what must be the toughest human beings that currently roam Earth. As one friend just told me, "these people replace their entire world every 14 days and I can't even get myself to do laundry."

We were invited into one hut on one of these floating islands by a 78-year-old woman (pictured below) who showed us bundles of reeds she will be using to replace her roof over the next day or two. I have never felt less handy in my entire life.

This is probably a terribly American way of looking at things but....WHY do they live on floating islands that constantly have to be rebuilt? Seems like as soon as they built a new island they would immediately have to get started building the next one. Is there a reason they live on them? I am amazed at the dedication they must have!

The explanation one local gave us (as translated by Will) (disclaimer: I have no idea whether this is accurate) is that they've been doing this for about 4,000 years and they initially went out there and built the floating islands to get away from warring tribes. They have no valuable land (because who wants to seize islands that require you to constantly rebuild them) and so they were able to live peaceably without really any potential to be targets. And then the next thing they knew it had been FOUR THOUSAND YEARS.

So I'm taking a latin history class this semester and we actually just got done learning about the Aztecs making floating islands in Mexico. They were given a plot of land by the ruling tribe in the area to maintain peace, but it was in the middle of a lake and the land was not fertile, but it did have a bird eating a snake on a cactus which fulfilled some prophecy so they stuck around. They then made the floating islands and scooped dirt from the lake on top of them to farm. So yea, different people, place, and reason, but now you know other people built islands too.

If I give you too much attention, Lee, the others will start thinking you're my favorite. And I can't let them think that. Because Anonymous is my favorite.

We took the scariest bus ride of all time up the side of a very steep mountain and then hiked around the area for a few hours. And it was somehow both jaws of Hell hot and Antarctica cold simultaneously.

She told me the bus rides were crazy. I figured you must have taken one because it took her a few days to hike to the top with a big group. I love the picture of the top ruins you took. I have a similar one from a different angle in a frame that she had taken. I think those ruins look even cooler then the ones I've seen in Pompeii and Delos, at least from a visual point of view.